Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt has joined fellow OLB Alex Highsmith in concussion protocol. Pro Football Talk reported the news on Twitter.
Watt caught a foot to the face on New England’s first offensive play of the game, briefly left the game, and was under evaluation in the blue medical tent. He finished the game, however, never leaving for more than a few plays. TribLive’s Joe Rutter adds that Watt was experiencing symptoms and was placed in concussion protocol.
During the broadcast of Thursday’s game, Amazon sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung indicated Watt spent “four minutes” with the league’s unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, UNC, before being cleared to go back into the game. Here’s the full quote of her sideline report from early in the second quarter.
“Alex Highsmith is still in there. We are told he’s questionable to return because of a neck injury. The unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant is inside the tent with him right now, and it was earlier that we saw TJ Watt in there, also with the UNC for four minutes, but he’s been back in the game and his helmet now has a tinted visor attached to it.”
Watt will now have a week to get cleared by an independent neurologist before the Steelers take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, a must-win game for the Steelers to avoid falling to 7-7.
Despite suffering torn finger ligaments and various bumps and bruises throughout the course of the season, Watt has yet to miss a game for Pittsburgh this year. He has 52 tackles and 14 sacks, and while he didn’t get to the quarterback on Thursday night, he’s been one of the best football players all season and certainly one of the best pass rushers. If he can’t go, it’s going to be a huge blow to a Steelers team looking for all the help it can get at this juncture of the season.
It’s never a good thing to have your two starters at outside linebacker in concussion protocol, but that’s where Pittsburgh is at right now. Highsmith left Thursday’s loss in the first half with what was deemed a neck injury, and with Markus Golden inactive, his reps were taken over by Nick Herbig. If one of Watt or Highsmith can’t go, Herbig might end up making his first career start for the Steelers.
Other OLB options for the Steelers include Golden and Kyron Johnson, who’s been elevated off the practice squad for each of the past two games. He has one elevation remaining before he has to be signed to the active/inactive roster.
After losing to back-to-back 2-10 teams, spirits are low around the Steelers. A Watt injury surely won’t help things.
